The Washington State Democratic Party is a finalist for one of the early dates on the 2024 presidential primary calendar.

Per a news release from the party, Washington will be among 17 states that get to make a formal pitch to the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee later this month. Washington will compete with Colorado and Nevada for the western spot.

The national party opened up the primary schedule for review in the wake of the chaotic Iowa caucuses in 2020. The traditional front-runners, Iowa and New Hampshire, have also come under fire in recent years for being largely unrepresentative of the Democratic electorate.

Nevada went third in 2020, with Democrats there voting on Feb. 22. The Silver State’s Democrats are arguing they should go first in 2024, pointing to their state’s diverse population. Washington State didn’t vote until March 10, by which time Joe Biden had pretty much locked up the nomination.

Don’t hold your breath for Washington to leapfrog Nevada, though. National party leaders likely opt to keep the earliest primaries in swing states. The last Democratic presidential nominee to lose Washington was Walter Mondale in 1984, who took a beating from incumbent Ronald Reagon so lopsided that it would be unthinkable today.

Your support matters.

Public service journalism is important today as ever. If you get something from our coverage, please consider making a donation to support our work. Thanks for reading our stuff.